1. Field
The exemplary embodiments generally relate to substrate processing systems and, more particularly, to calibration and synchronization of components of the substrate processing systems.
2. Brief Description of Related Developments
Substrate processing equipment is typically capable of performing multiple operations on a substrate. The substrate processing equipment generally includes a transfer chamber and one or more process modules coupled to the transfer chamber. A substrate transport robot within the transfer chamber moves substrates among the process modules where different operations, such as sputtering, etching, coating, soaking, etc. are performed. Production processes used by, for example, semiconductor device manufacturers and materials producers often require precise positioning of substrates in the substrate processing equipment.
The precise position of the substrates is generally provided through teaching locations of the process modules to the substrate transport robot. Generally the teaching of the substrate transport robot includes detecting a position of the robot and/or substrate carried by the robot with dedicated teaching sensors added to the substrate processing equipment, utilizing instrumented substrates (e.g. including onboard, sensors or cameras) carried by the substrate transport robot, utilizing removable fixtures that are placed within the process modules or other substrate holding station of the substrate processing equipment, utilizing wafer centering sensors that are located within or externally accessible at the process modules, utilizing sensors (e.g. cameras) disposed external to the process modules, or by contacting a target within the process module with the substrate transport robot or an object carried by the substrate transport robot. These approaches to teaching locations within substrate processing equipment may require sensors being placed in a vacuum, may require changes to customer processing equipment and/or tooling, may not be suitable for use in vacuum environments or at high temperatures, may require sensor targets, mirrors or fixtures being placed within the processing equipment, may disrupt a vacuum environment of the substrate processing equipment, and/or may require software changes to the code embedded into the substrate transport robot's and/or processing system's controller.
It would be advantageous to automatically teach a substrate transport robot the substrate processing locations within processing equipment without disturbing an environment within the processing equipment or requiring additional instrumentation and/or modification to the substrate processing equipment.